MOSCOW, May 18 — A promotional event for Hollywood blockbuster Fast & Furious 9, scheduled to be held in China’s Shanghai today, was cancelled by Universal Pictures over security concerns after the company received threats.
“Currently, Universal Pictures received threats that would make it impossible for us to hold the press conference and could cause considerable security risks. Although Universal Pictures poured a lot of effort into the press conference, security will always be our top priority. As a result, after careful evaluation, Universal Pictures was forced to cancel the press conference for Fast & Furious 9,” Sputnik quoted the US film production company’s statement posted on its official Weibo account.
The company said it had reported the details of the threats to law enforcement agencies in China.
The planned promotional event would allow Chinese fans to experience the breath-taking car chase scenes in the movie, the company said in earlier posts.
The new movie will be released in theatres in China as scheduled on Friday, the statement added.
The Fast & Furious franchise is one of the most successful Hollywood movie franchises in the Chinese market.
The previous instalment, known as The Fate of the Furious 8 generated 2.6 billion yuan (RM1.7 billion) in China, which made it the 15th highest-grossing movie in country’s the box office history.
When the movie was first released in China in April 2017, it shattered the daily box office record in the Chinese market by generating 417 million yuan on the first day.
After successfully containing local Covid-19 transmissions, theatres in China were allowed to open its doors to moviegoers beginning last July. — Bernama
